Emergency Contraceptive Pills (ECP's)
ECP's (Emergency Contraceptive Pills), often referred to as "the morning after pill", provide a short, strong burst of hormone exposure, which disrupts hormone patterns that are essential for pregnancy. Hormone release from the ovary is reduced and development of the uterine lining is disturbed. These disruptions are temporary, lasting only a few days.
Treatment with Emergency Contraceptive Pills (ECPs) consists of taking two doses of hormone pills, with the first dose taken as soon as possible after intercourse and the second dose taken 12 hours after the first dose. Plan B, the ECP that is currently manufactured, contains progestin only (similar to the hormone-like drugs found in birth control pills. ECPs can be taken up to five (5) days after intercourse. They are more effective taken with 72 hours.
Are ECPs Effective?
Manufacturers claim that Plan B reduces the chances of pregnancy by 89%. These claims may or may not be accurate because we don't know if women taking ECPs would have not become pregnant anyway. Not every incident of unprotected intercourse ends up in pregnancy. Women are only fertile for a short period of time each month. An independent study conducted in 1972-1974 refutes the claim that ECPs are effective in preventing pregnancy. This study showed that women, who had been raped, had the same pregnancy rate whether they took ECPs or not.
Risks
Women should not use ECP's if they have had one of the following:
-
Heart attack or stroke
-
Blood clotting disorder
-
History of breast cancer
-
Known pregnancy
The FDA Approves Ella, a New Emergency Contraceptive
In August of 2010, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved a 5-Day Emergency Contraceptive, called Ella. This new emergency contraceptive pill prevents pregnancies if taken as many as five days after unprotected intercourse or contraceptive failure.In contrast to Plan B, Ella is just as effective when taken 1 day after intercourse or the 5th day after.
Women who have unprotected intercourse,orcontraceptive failure have about 1 chance in 20 of becoming pregnant.Women who take Plan B within three days cut that risk to about 1 in 40, while those who take ella would cut that risk to about 1 in 50.
Ella will be available by the end of 2010, and will require a prescription. To read more about Ella, read the statement by National Women's Health Network
